lonnie desoto

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)
1/2 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quinquina
1 dash Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)
1 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist (lemon twist).

On Sunday two weeks ago, I decided to seek out a Bonal drink and searched the BarNotes app. There, I stopped upon New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles' 2013 Lonnie DeSoto as his riff on the Nolita (standing for the Manhattan neighborhood North of Little Italy). The Nolita was crafted in 2012 by Christian Siglin in San Diego as a Negroni riff with the sweet vermouth portion split into sweet vermouth and coffee liqueur, and unlike the classic Negroni, this one had a dash of bitters an a lemon twist. Rafa took the drink in a Mexican direction by utilizing tequila as a spirit instead of gin and adding molé bitters; moreover, he swapped the Bonal for sweet vermouth which reminded me of Canon's Coraje that paired Bonal with coffee liqueur. To keep the Mexican theme, I opted for Kahlua as my coffee element here. As a name, he dubbed this one after Yolanda "Lonnie" DeSoto in the Gone Home video game whose family emigrated from Mexico.
The Lonnie DeSoto greeted the nose with a lemon and dark orange bouquet. Next, grape with hints of coffee roast on the sip led into tequila, orange, and coffee flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and spice finish.

Nolita
• 1 oz Dry Gin
• 1 oz Campari
• 1/2 oz Cafe Lolita Coffee Liqueur
• 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1 dash Aromatic Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Via KindredCocktails.